Henkle v. Town of Keota

27 N.W. 250, 68 Iowa 334
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMarch 18, 1886
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 27 N.W. 250 (Henkle v. Town of Keota) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Henkle v. Town of Keota, 27 N.W. 250, 68 Iowa 334 (iowa 1886).

Opinion

Sbevers, J.

A finding of facts was made by the court, the material portion of which is as follows: “ The Bank of Keota is incorporated under the general incorporation law, the capital being $35,000, the surplus fund $15,000, and the undivided profits over uncollectible debts $3,000. In 1881 the bank invested $40,750 in United States bonds. In October, 1882, it sold $10,000 of the bonds, and before January 1, 1883, placed the' remainder in Chicago, and had the privilege of drawing against them. The plaintiffs are holders of the capital stock of the bank, and the value of [336]*336tlieir shares, respectively, was found by the court. The bank erected a banking-house, and expended therefor $9,000, and the value of the real estate owned by it, including the banking-house, was assessed to the bank; but it declined to list for assessment for the year 1883 any moneys, credits, or any other property, except as above stated. It also declined to disclose the names of the owners of stock or shares in the corporation. The plaintiffs were severally assessed for the year 1883, but they declined to list the shares owned by them for the purpose of assessment. The board of equalization met on the second day of April, and it was then decided to add plaintiffs’ bank stock to their assessment, and the board directed the assessor to ascertain the names of the owners of stock in the bank residing in town, and the amounts owned by each, and to assess the same. The business of the board being unfinished on the ninth day of said month, the plaintiff Iienlde appeared before the board “ as a stockholder and officer of the bank,” and on his application a postponement of one week was obtained to consider the matter of the assessment of bank shares. On the sixteenth day of April the board again met, and at that time the president of the bank, the plaintiff Iienlde, and Mr. Farley, who was attorney for the plaintiff and the bank, appeared before the board, and objections were made against the proposed assessment of shares in the bank to the individual owners. The objections were overruled, and the board ordered that the shares owned by each of the plaintiffs should be assessed at a value fixed by the board. On April seventeenth notices were posted up at the proper places, showing the assessments, the amount thereof, and the description of the property, as ordered’ by the board. Upon the foregoing facts the court, as conclusions of law, found — “First. The defendants had no authority to assess or order the assessment of the bank stock to the plaintiffs. Second. In assessing and ordering the assessment of the bank stock in question to the plaintiffs, the defendants acted illlegally.” Then follows the judg[337]*337ment of the court; “ to which conclusions of law, order and judgment the defendants, at the time, excepted.'” These cases were submitted on a single abstract, and are precisely alike, except in a single particular, which will be hereafter more particularly referred to.

u appeal to court-amount rSfotioiiíhe I. Counsel for the appellees contend that, as the maximum assessment for city purposes cannot exceed twelve mills on dollar, therefore the amount in controversy is ^ess than $100, and, as the trial judge has not certified any question of law as to which it is desirable to have the opinion of the supreme court, therefore this court has no jurisdiction of this appeal. It does not appear from the pleadings what amount is in controversy, and the assessment ordered by the board forms the basis upon which the state, city and county taxes are levied. This case is therefore within the rule established in Babcock v. Board of Equalization, 65 Iowa, 110. The point made by counsel, therefore, is not well taken.

2. excepTIOST: what sufficient. II. It is further contended that the exception taken is insufficient to present any question of law for the determination of this court. In support of this proposi • 1 r tion, Boyce v. Wabash R’y Co., 63 Iowa, 70, is cited. We do not understand that any exception was taken, or intended to be taken, as to the facts as found by the court. Conceding the facts found to be correct, the defendant excepted to the “conclusion of law and judgment.” The latter followed the former as a matter of course; nor can it be-said that the exception was to such judgment, but it was designed to be and was to the judgment of the court as to the law governing the case. But if it be conceded that the judgment and conclusions of law were both excepted to, but a single exception was required; because there was but a single legal proposition embraced in both, no matter how many times or in how many forms it was stated, and that was that the board was not authorized to cause the assessment to be made, and that in so doing it acted illegally. We are of the opinion [338]*338that the exception taken is sufficient to present for consideration the legal propositions presented by counsel.

3. taxation: statutes?8' sli^rds of rank stock taxed to owners. III. It is insisted that the board acted illegally, because there is no statute which authorizes the assessment and taxation to the owners of shares in a bank organized under the general incorporation law. It is un- ^ doubtly true that taxation is an attribute of sov- ° ereignty, and, if sucli power lias failed to provide that any species of property shall be taxed, then it cannot be done. It is also true that taxation is the rule, and exemption therefrom constitutes the exception. Having in mind these rules, we proceed to a consideration of the question presented. It is not claimed that shares in such banks are specially exempted from taxation; and section 801 of the Code provides that all property, both real and personal, not exempt by statute,.is subject to taxation. That bank shares are property must be conceded. Section 813 of the Code provides that the stock of corporations and companies shall be assessed at their cash value.” In Des Moines Water Co.’s Appeal, 48 Iowa, 324, it was held that the shares in a corporation of that character could be assessed and taxed; and in Cook v. City of Burlington, 59 Iowa, 251, it was held that, under the statute, it was competent to assess and tax shares in a corporation owning a toll-bridge to the owners, although the property of the corporation had been taxed to it.

Under the statute and these decisions, it .must be assumed that shares in at least some corporations can be assessed to the owners. Now, is there any provision of the statute that takes shares in a bank out of this rule? Counsel for appellees contends that there is, and he relies on section 821 of the Code, and chapter 63 of the Acts of the Fifteenth General Assembly. The latter has been incorporated into McClain’s Code, (section 812 as amended,) and is in the following words: “ All taxable property shall be taxed each year, and personal property shall be listed and assessed each year in the name of the owner thereof on the first day of January, except [339]*339moneys and credits of associations organized under the general incorporation laws of this state for the purpose of transacting a banking business, and moneys and credits of private bankers who have loaned money, bought notes, mortgages, or other securities. In every such instance, the average value of the money and credits which have been in the possession or under the control of the person making the list shall be listed for taxation.”

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27 N.W. 250, 68 Iowa 334, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henkle-v-town-of-keota-iowa-1886.